Patchouli essential oil has an earthy, smoky scent. It can elicit strong opinions because it’s an assertive fragrance, but what many people don’t know is how versatile patchouli essential oil is. It adds depth and complexity to a variety of scents. It blends wonderfully with floral, citrus, vanilla, and minty notes.

In this Patchouli & Bentonite Clay Soap, it’s blended with a touch of lime essential oil. Together they create a bright and earthy scent that’s sure to please. Patchouli is the defining scent of the blend, so if you prefer you can add more lime and less patchouli.

In addition to essential oils, the bars are made with natural activated charcoal, indigo powder, and bentonite clay. Bentonite clay is created from volcanic ash. It gives bath and beauty products a nice slip. This texture is great for shaving soaps, as it helps the razor glide over the skin. Bentonite clay also has strong oil absorbing properties, making it a great choice for oily skin.

Indigo powder creates the lovely gray-blue shade. Promoting gel phase helps the color pop a bit. If you’re looking for a natural blue color, jagua extract is a great option. You can also add a touch of Ultramarine Blue Oxide.

Patchouli & Bentonite Clay Soap

What You Need:
10″ Silicone Loaf Mold
33 oz. Swirl Quick Mix
4.6 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
10.9 oz. Distilled Water
1.5 oz. Patchouli Essential Oil
0.5 oz. Lime Essential Oil
Bentonite Clay
Activated Charcoal
Indigo Powder
Titanium Dioxide

Click below to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

If you’ve never made cold process soap before, stop here. We highly recommend checking out our FREE four-part SoapQueen.tv series on cold process soapmaking, especially the episode on lye safety. And if you’d rather do some reading, Bramble Berry carries a wide range of books on the topic, including Pure Soapmaking.

COLORANT PREP: Disperse 1 teaspoon of titanium dioxide into 1 tablespoon of a lightweight liquid oil such as sunflower or sweet almond. In a separate container, disperse 2 teaspoons of indigo powder into 2 tablespoons of lightweight liquid oil. Disperse 1 teaspoon of bentonite clay into 3 tablespoons of distilled water – this mixture will be quite thick. Finally, disperse 1/2 teaspoon of activated charcoal into 1/2 tablespoon of lightweight liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to get rid of clumps.
Optional: To ensure the titanium dioxide blends smoothly into the soap, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. Use a coffee grinder to break up any clumps of color and prevent streaks of white from showing in the final soap. We like to use a coffee grinder that has a removable stainless steel mixing area for easy cleaning. 

FRAGRANCE PREP: In a glass fragrance oil-safe container, measure out 1.5 ounces of patchouli essential oil and 0.5 ounces of lime essential oil. Set aside.

SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices. That means goggles, gloves, and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, other distractions, and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your soaping space. Always soap in a well-ventilated area.

ONE: Slowly and carefully add 4.6 ounces of lye to 10.9 ounces of distilled water. Gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved. Set it aside to cool. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add 2 teaspoons sodium lactate.

TWO: Fully melt the entire bag of Swirl Quick Mix until it’s completely clear. Shake the bag to mix up all the oils. Measure 33 ounces into a heat-safe bowl. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees F or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend the mixture to a very thin trace.

THREE: Add all of the bentonite clay mixture. Pulse and stir with the stick blender to fully incorporate. Clay tends to speed up trace, so be careful to not over blend during this stage.

FOUR: Add all of the essential oil blend and use a whisk to fully mix in.

FIVE: Split the soap into 3 separate containers. One container should hold 350 mL, and the remaining 2 should hold 600 mL. Add the following amounts of dispersed powders and whisk thoroughly.

• Container A (350 mL): 1 teaspoon dispersed activated charcoal
• Container B (600 mL): 1 tablespoon dispersed indigo powder + 1/2 teaspoon dispersed titanium dioxide
• Container C (600 mL): remaining dispersed titanium dioxide

SIX: At this point you want the soap to be a medium trace – thin enough to pour, but thick enough that it slightly holds its shape. If it’s still thin, quickly pulse each container with the stick blender starting from lightest to darkest. Once you reach a good texture, begin pouring small dollops of the blue soap into the mold in different areas. Don’t worry too much about the placement of the plops or making them the same size.

SEVEN: Pour plops of the white soap on top of the blue, followed by dollops of the black soap. Because you have less black soap, make these plops slightly smaller.

EIGHT: Continue to layer the various colors into the mold. The more dollops the more layers your soap will have. Alternating the spots you pour and the amounts will also create more variety in your bars. There’s really no right or wrong way to layer the colors, so have fun with it.
TIP: If your soap gets grainy, whisk until it’s smooth. If it gets too thick to pour, use a spoon to layer the soap. 

NINE: Once all the soap is in the mold, use a spoon to create texture on top. We created a side wave pattern by moving the spoon in one direction vertically down the mold.

TEN: Once you’re happy with the top, spritz it with 99% isopropyl alcohol. To help the indigo powder pop, we placed this soap on a heating pad set to medium high for about 2 hours to promote gel phase. Learn more about gel phase here.

Allow the soap to stay in the mold for 2-3 days. Unmold and cut into bars. Allow them to cure for 4-6 weeks and enjoy!

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Patchouli & Bentonite Clay Soap

Course Cold process soap

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 3 pounds of soap

Author Bramble Berry

Ingredients

• 10 ″ Silicone Loaf Mold
• 33 oz. Swirl Quick Mix
• 4.6 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
• 10.9 oz. Distilled Water
• 1.5 oz. Patchouli Essential Oil
• 0.5 oz. Lime Essential Oil
• Bentonite Clay
• Activated Charcoal
• Indigo Powder
• Titanium Dioxide

Instructions

COLORANT PREP: Disperse 1 teaspoon of titanium dioxide into 1 tablespoon of a lightweight liquid oil such as sunflower or sweet almond. In a separate container, disperse 2 teaspoons of indigo powder into 2 tablespoons of lightweight liquid oil. Disperse 1 teaspoon of bentonite clay into 3 tablespoons of distilled water – this mixture will be quite thick. Finally, disperse 1/2 teaspoon of activated charcoal into 1/2 tablespoon of lightweight liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to get rid of clumps. Optional: To ensure the titanium dioxide blends smoothly into the soap, we recommend micronizing it before dispersing it in oil. Use a coffee grinder to break up any clumps of color and prevent streaks of white from showing in the final soap. We like to use a coffee grinder that has a removable stainless steel mixing area for easy cleaning.

FRAGRANCE PREP: In a glass fragrance oil-safe container, measure out 1.5 ounces of patchouli essential oil and 0.5 ounces of lime essential oil. Set aside.

SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices. That means goggles, gloves, and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, other distractions, and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your soaping space. Always soap in a well-ventilated area.

• Slowly and carefully add 4.6 ounces of lye to 10.9 ounces of distilled water. Gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved. Set it aside to cool. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add 2 teaspoons sodium lactate.
• Fully melt the entire bag of Swirl Quick Mix until it’s completely clear. Shake the bag to mix up all the oils. Measure 33 ounces into a heat-safe bowl. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees F or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend the mixture to a very thin trace.
• Add all of the bentonite clay mixture. Pulse and stir with the stick blender to fully incorporate. Clay tends to speed up trace, so be careful to not over blend during this stage.
• Add all of the essential oil blend and use a whisk to fully mix in.
• Split the soap into 3 separate containers. One container should hold 350 mL, and the remaining 2 should hold 600 mL. Add the following amounts of dispersed powders and whisk thoroughly.<br>Container A (350 mL): 1 teaspoon dispersed activated charcoal<br>Container B (600 mL): 1 tablespoon dispersed indigo powder + 1/2 teaspoon dispersed titanium dioxide<br>Container C (600 mL): remaining dispersed titanium dioxide
• At this point you want the soap to be a medium trace – thin enough to pour, but thick enough that it slightly holds its shape. If it’s still thin, quickly pulse each container with the stick blender starting from lightest to darkest. Once you reach a good texture, begin pouring small dollops of the blue soap into the mold in different areas. Don’t worry too much about the placement of the plops or making them the same size.
• Pour plops of the white soap on top of the blue, followed by dollops of the black soap. Because you have less black soap, make these plops slightly smaller.
• Continue to layer the various colors into the mold. The more dollops the more layers your soap will have. Alternating the spots you pour and the amounts will also create more variety in your bars. There’s really no right or wrong way to layer the colors, so have fun with it. TIP: If your soap gets grainy, whisk until it’s smooth. If it gets too thick to pour, use a spoon to layer the soap.
• Once all the soap is in the mold, use a spoon to create texture on top. We created a side wave pattern by moving the spoon in one direction vertically down the mold.
• Once you’re happy with the top, spritz it with 99% isopropyl alcohol. To help the indigo powder pop, we placed this soap on a heating pad set to medium high for about 2 hours to promote gel phase. Learn more about gel phase here. Allow the soap to stay in the mold for 2-3 days. Unmold and cut into bars. Allow them to cure for 4-6 weeks and enjoy!

The post Patchouli & Bentonite Clay Soap appeared first on Soap Queen.

Vivid hues can be achieved with all natural colorants. In fact, you can create just about every color in the rainbow! For this Natural Rainbow Cold Process Soap, I used six colorants in the Natural Colorants Sampler Pack to create layers of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. This soap is fragranced with a combination of lime and lemongrass essential oil for a scent that’s as bright as the layers.

For this project, I added the majority of the colorants directly to the soap batter. The one exception was annatto seed. I made an infusion with the seeds and used the infused oils to create the orange and yellow hues. To help the colors really pop, I recommend soaping at slightly higher temperatures (around 120-130° F) to help the soap go through a complete gel phase. I also recommend insulating the soap, and placing it on a heating pad if your room temperature is on the cooler side. Gel phase really helps natural colors pop! Click here to read more about gel phase, and when to insulate your soap.

The drawback of natural colorants is they do tend to fade with time. These photos were taken about one week after cutting. The colors have faded slightly since then, but are still quite vivid. To help prevent the colors from fading, be sure to keep your bars out of direct sunlight. If you’ve never used natural colorants before, check out the Sunday Night Spotlight on natural colorants here. My new book, Pure Soapmaking, is also full of information on natural colorants, including how to infuse them and what they look like after they fade.


UPDATE 7/6/2016: Below is a photo of the soap about 5 months after unmolding. As you can see, some of the colors have faded slightly. Specifically, the green shade has faded the most. This soap was stored in a dry, cool and dark place. Most of the colors still look quite vivid!

What You’ll Need:
Tall Narrow Wood Loaf Mold
44 oz. Basic Quick Mix
6.3 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
14.5 oz. Distilled Water
2 oz. Lemongrass Essential Oil
1 oz. Lime Essential Oil
Natural Colorants Sampler Pack:
Madder Root Powder
Annatto Seeds
Indigo Powder
Spirulina Powder
Alkanet Root Powder

Note: The button below adds the Natural Colorants Sampler Pack, rather than the individual colorants needed. The pack includes all the colors necessary for this project, in addition to rose clay, nettle leaf, walnut shells and activated charcoal. 

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

If you’ve never made Cold Process soap before, stop here! I highly recommend checking out our FREE four part SoapQueen.tv series on Cold Process Soapmaking, especially the episode on lye safety. And if you’d rather do some reading, Bramble Berry carries a wide range of books on the topic, including my newest book, Soap Crafting. You can also checkout the digital downloads for that instant gratification factor.

SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices! That means goggles, gloves and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, and other distractions and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your soaping space. Always soap in a well-ventilated area.

COLOR PREP:  Disperse 1 teaspoon of the alkanet root powder, spirulina powder and indigo powder into 1 tablespoon of lightweight liquid oil such as sunflower or sweet almond oil. Use a mini mixer to help get rid of any clumps. Then, disperse 2 teaspoons of madder root powder into 2 tablespoons lightweight liquid oil. In a separate heat safe container, add 1 teaspoon annatto seeds into 1 ounce liquid oil (I used sweet almond oil). Place the container in the microwave for about 20 seconds, or until the oil is warm to hot. Allow the mixture to thoroughly cool and the seeds to infuse the oil with a dark orange color. Strain out the seeds and set infused oil aside.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 2 ounces of the lemongrass essential oil and 1 ounce lime essential oil in a glass, essential oil safe container. Set aside.

MOLD PREP: Line the Tall Narrow Wood Loaf Mold with freezer paper with the shiny side up. For tips on how to line the mold, click here.

ONE: Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool.

TWO: Fully melt the entire bag of Basic Quick Quick Mix until there is no cloudiness. Shake to mix and measure out 44 oz. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add about 2.5 teaspoons sodium lactate.

THREE: Once you’ve reached a thin trace, split the soap into six equal containers. Each container will contain about 300 mL.

FOUR: To each container, add the amount of dispersed colorants listed below. Use a whisk to thoroughly mix in the colorants.

• Red: 1 Tbs. dispersed madder root powder
• Orange: 2 tsp. dispersed madder root powder + 3/4 tsp. annatto seed infused oil
• Yellow: 2 tsp. annatto seed infused oil
• Green: 2 tsp. dispersed spirulina powder
• Blue: 2 tsp. dispersed indigo powder
• Purple: 1.5 tsp. dispersed alkanet root powder

FIVE: Add the essential oil blend evenly between the six containers, it’s okay to eyeball it. Use a whisk to thoroughly mix in the oil. If the soap is still extremely thin, give each color a few bursts with the stick blender to thicken slightly. The soap should be thin enough to pour and spread, but thick enough that it will support layers on top. Then, pour all the red colored soap into the mold. Tap the mold firmly on the counter to help even out the soap.

SIX: Carefully spoon the orange colored soap on top of the red, being careful to not let the orange soap break through the red layer below. Use a spoon to spread the orange soap evenly if necessary, then tap the mold firmly on the counter to help release any air bubbles. Continue layering the yellow, green, blue and purple soap into the mold, being careful to not break through to the layers below.

SEVEN: After you pour the purple soap on the very top, smooth the top with a spoon. Spritz the top with 99% isopropyl alcohol to prevent soda ash. Then, cover and insulate the soap for 24 hours. To help the colors pop, you want the soap to go through gel phase. If you’re soaping in a cold room, I would recommend placing the mold on a heating pad on medium heat for about an 30 minutes to help promote gel phase. After 2-3 days, remove from the mold and cut into bars. Allow to cure for 4-6 weeks and enjoy!

What is your favorite way to use natural colorants?

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Natural Colorant Rainbow Cold Process Soap

This rainbow cold process soap uses only natural colorants to create six rainbow shades.

Course Cold process soap

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• Tall Narrow Wood Loaf Mold
• 44 oz. Basic Quick Mix
• 6.3 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
• 14.5 oz. Distilled Water
• 2 oz. Lemongrass Essential Oil
• 1 oz. Lime Essential Oil
• Natural Colorants Sampler Pack:
• Madder Root Powder
• Annatto Seeds
• Indigo Powder
• Spirulina Powder
• Alkanet Root Powder

Instructions

SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices! That means goggles, gloves and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, and other distractions and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your soaping space. Always soap in a well-ventilated area.

COLOR PREP: Disperse 1 teaspoon of the alkanet root powder, spirulina powder and indigo powder into 1 tablespoon of lightweight liquid oil such as sunflower or sweet almond oil. Use a mini mixer to help get rid of any clumps. Then, disperse 2 teaspoons of madder root powder into 2 tablespoons lightweight liquid oil. In a separate heat safe container, add 1 teaspoon annatto seeds into 1 ounce liquid oil (I used sweet almond oil). Place the container in the microwave for about 20 seconds, or until the oil is warm to hot. Allow the mixture to thoroughly cool and the seeds to infuse the oil with a dark orange color. Strain out the seeds and set infused oil aside.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 2 ounces of the lemongrass essential oil and 1 ounce lime essential oil in a glass, essential oil safe container. Set aside.

MOLD PREP: Line the Tall Narrow Wood Loaf Mold with freezer paper with the shiny side up. For tips on how to line the mold, click here.

• Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool.
• Fully melt the entire bag of Basic Quick Quick Mix until there is no cloudiness. Shake to mix and measure out 44 oz. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until thin trace. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add about 2.5 sodium lactate.
• Once you’ve reached a thin trace, split the soap into six equal containers. Each container will contain about 300 mL.
• To each container, add the amount of dispersed colorants listed below. Use a whisk to thoroughly mix in the colorants.
  Red: 1 Tbs. dispersed madder root powder
  Orange: 2 tsp. dispersed madder root powder + 3/4 tsp. annatto seed infused oil<br>Yellow: 2 tsp. annatto seed infused oil
  Green: 2 tsp. dispersed spirulina powder
  Blue: 2 tsp. dispersed indigo powder
  Purple: 1.5 tsp. dispersed alkanet root powder
• Add the essential oil blend evenly between the six containers, it’s okay to eyeball it. Use a whisk to thoroughly mix in the oil. If the soap is still extremely thin, give each color a few bursts with the stick blender to thicken slightly. The soap should be thin enough to pour and spread, but thick enough that it will support layers on top. Then, pour all the red colored soap into the mold. Tap the mold firmly on the counter to help even out the soap.
• Carefully spoon the orange colored soap on top of the red, being careful to not let the orange soap break through the red layer below. Use a spoon to spread the orange soap evenly if necessary, then tap the mold firmly on the counter to help release any air bubbles. Continue layering the yellow, green, blue and purple soap into the mold, being careful to not break through to the layers below.
• After you pour the purple soap on the very top, smooth the top with a spoon. Spritz the top with 99% isopropyl alcohol to prevent soda ash. Then, cover and insulate the soap for 24 hours. To help the colors pop, you want the soap to go through gel phase. If you’re soaping in a cold room, I would recommend placing the mold on a heating pad on medium heat for about an 30 minutes to help promote gel phase. After 2-3 days, remove from the mold and cut into bars. Allow to cure for 4-6 weeks and enjoy!

The post Natural Colorant Rainbow Cold Process Soap appeared first on Soap Queen.

Inspired by the popular song, this Lime in the Coconut Milk soap is a tropical vacation in bar form! Coconut milk powder replaces water in this recipe to give additional moisture. Coconut milk powder is full of vitamins C, E, B1, B3, B5, and B6, along with potassium and folate. The lauric acid of coconut milk also gives the bar a luxurious and fluffy lather. If you have never worked with milk in soap before, check out the How to Add Lye to Milk post for tips on keeping the milk cold. Looking for more information? The Goat Milk Soap Tutorial demonstrates how to add lye to milk, with examples of scorched milk vs. non-scorched milk.

This Lime in the Coconut Milk Cold Process features a fresh smelling blend of Lime Essential Oil and Coconut Lemongrass Fragrance Oil. Adorable melt and pour lime embeds are placed on the top, giving the illusion of a fruity, tropical drink. Mica is brushed on the embeds to help the details really pop.

What You’ll Need:
Tall 12″ Silicone Loaf Mold
1.9 oz. Avocado Butter
1.9 oz. Castor Oil
11.1 oz. Coconut Oil
5.6 oz. Green Tea Seed Oil
1.9 oz. Mango Butter
14.8 oz. Olive Oil
5.2 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
1.5 oz. Coconut Milk Powder
12.3 oz. Distilled Water
Chrome Green Oxide
Fizzy Lemonade Colorant
Titanium Dioxide
1 oz. Lime Distilled Essential Oil
1 oz. Coconut Lemongrass Fragrance Oil

Embeds:
Citrus Slice Wax Tart Mold
2 oz. Clear Melt and Pour Base
Yellow Lip Safe Mica
Chrome Green Color Block

 Make the Embeds

ONE: Cut and melt 2 ounces of clear melt and pour base in the microwave using 5 second bursts. It’s easy to burn such a small amount of melt and pour, so using small bursts helps avoid this. Add small shavings of the Chrome Green Color Block and stir until a rich green color is achieved. Carefully pour the soap into each cavity until the citrus shape is covered; don’t fill the cavity all the way. Spritz with alcohol to disperse any bubbles. Allow to fully cool and harden.

TWO: Remove each embed from the mold. Use a paintbrush to lightly dust the lime shape with Yellow Mica. This step is optional, but the mica really helps the details pop! Set embeds aside.


 If you’ve never made Cold Process soap before, stop here! I highly recommend checking out our FREE four part SoapQueen.tv series on Cold Process Soapmaking, especially the episode on lye safety. And if you’d rather do some reading, Bramble Berry carries a wide range of books on the topic, including my newest book, Soap Crafting. You can also checkout the digital downloads for that instant gratification factor.

SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices! That means goggles, gloves and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, and other distractions and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your soaping space. Always soap in a well-ventilated area.

COLOR PREP: Disperse 1 teaspoon of the Chrome Green Oxide into 1 tablespoon of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Then disperse 3 teaspoons of the Fizzy Lemonade Colorant into 3 tablespoons lightweight liquid oil. Finally disperse 1 teaspoon Titanium Dioxide into 1 tablespoon light liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to get the clumps of color worked out smoothly.  Please note this is an optional tip but it does help with the titanium dioxide clumping in the soap =) To micronize colorant, simply use a coffee grinder to blend the colorant to break up any clumps of color and prevent streaks of white from showing in the final soap. We like to use a coffee grinder that has a removable, stainless steel mixing area for easy cleaning.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Mix 1 oz. of the Coconut Lemongrass Fragrance Oil and 1 oz. of the Lime Essential Oil. Set aside.

MILK PREP: Mix 1.5 oz. of coconut milk powder into the distilled water. When using this Coconut Milk Powder we found it was a little tricky to mix into water however, heating the water slightly (to about 95°F) made it easy. Once the powder is completely mixed into the water and contains no clumps, pour the milk into ice cube trays and place them into the freezer until completely hard (several hours to overnight).

ONE: Remove the fully frozen milk from the ice cube trays and place into a container that has been placed in an ice bath. Slowly add lye and stir until the lye is fully dissolved and the milk has become liquid. Click here to see this process and more tips on creating a lye and milk mixture. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye milk. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add about 2 tsp. sodium lactate.

TWO: Fully melt and combine the coconut, olive, green tea seed, castor, avocado butter and mango butter.  Once the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below, add the lye milk to the oils and stick blend until thin trace.


THREE: Pour off two containers, each measuring 1 cup. The large container should then hold about 4 cups.

FOUR: To the large container, add 2 tablespoons of the dispersed Fizzy Lemonade Colorant, and 1 tablespoon of the dispersed Chrome Green Oxide. Use a whisk to fully incorporate. 

FIVE: To one of the smaller containers, add 2.5 tablespoons of dispersed Fizzy Lemonade Colorant and use a whisk or spoon to fully incorporate. To the other small container, add 2 tablespoons of the dispersed titanium dioxide and use a whisk or spoon to fully incorporate. Add the fragrance oil blend proportionally to each of the three containers (it’s okay to eyeball it!) and use a whisk to fully combine.

SIX: Pour the entire container of green soap into the mold, and tap the mold firmly on the counter to help get rid of any air bubbles. Don’t scrape the bowl clean, leave a small amount of green soap in the bowl for the top.

SEVEN: Pour half of the white soap into the center of the mold. Pour from about 10 inches above the mold; this helps the white soap drop into the green soap, rather than sitting on top and creating layers.

EIGHT: Pour the yellow soap into the green and white soap. Pour the yellow soap from 8-10 inches above the mold to ensure the yellow soap breaks through into the green soap. Leave a small amount of soap in the container for the top.

NINE: Tap the mold firmly on the counter to help get rid of air bubbles. Stick blend the leftover white soap until you reach a thick trace. 

TEN: Use a spoon to gently place the thick white soap on top of the green soap. Gently spread the soap to ensure an even layer. 

ELEVEN: Use a spoon to place the leftover yellow soap from the container onto the white.

TWELVE: Place any leftover green soap onto the yellow, and use a spoon to create peaks and texture with the yellow, white and green soap.

THIRTEEN: Place the lime embeds into the side of the soap. Ensure the lime is far enough in the soap that they don’t fall out.

FOURTEEN: Spritz the top with 99% isopropyl alcohol to prevent soda ash, and place the soap into the freezer for 24 hours. Doing so prevents the soap from going through gel phase which will scorch the coconut milk. After 24 hours, remove the soap from the freezer and allow to sit in the mold for 3-4 days. Milk soap can be a little softer due to the extra milk fat. Patience is key! Remove from the mold, cut and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks.

Have you used coconut milk in your soap before?  Do you have any tips to share with SQ readers? I love the fluffy and moisturizing lather it gives!
 

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Lime in the Coconut Milk Cold Process Tutorial

This Lime in the Coconut Cold Process Soap uses coconut milk instead of water for a fluffy and rich lather.

Course Cold process

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• Tall 12" Silicone Loaf Mold
• 1.9 oz. Avocado Butter
• 1.9 oz. Castor Oil
• 11.1 oz. Coconut Oil
• 5.6 oz. Green Tea Seed Oil
• 1.9 oz. Mango Butter
• 14.8 oz. Olive Oil
• 5.2 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
• 1.5 oz. Coconut Milk Powder
• 12.3 oz. Distilled Water
• Chrome Green Oxide
• Fizzy Lemonade Colorant
• Titanium Dioxide
• 1 oz. Lime Distilled Essential Oil
• 1 oz. Coconut Lemongrass Fragrance Oil

Embeds:

• Citrus Slice Wax Tart Mold
• 2 oz. Clear Melt and Pour Base
• Yellow Lip Safe Mica
• Chrome Green Color Block

Instructions

Make the Embeds

• Cut and melt 2 ounces of clear melt and pour base in the microwave using 5 second bursts. It’s easy to burn such a small amount of melt and pour, so using small bursts helps avoid this. Add small shavings of the Chrome Green Color Block and stir until a rich green color is achieved. Carefully pour the soap into each cavity until the citrus shape is covered; don’t fill the cavity all the way. Spritz with alcohol to disperse any bubbles. Allow to fully cool and harden.
• Remove each embed from the mold. Use a paintbrush to lightly dust the lime shape with Yellow Mica. This step is optional, but the mica really helps the details pop! Set embeds aside.

Make the Cold Process Soap

COLOR PREP: In separate containers, disperse 1 teaspoon of the Chrome Green Oxide into 1 tablespoon of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Then, in separate containers, disperse 2 teaspoons of the Fizzy Lemonade Colorant, Titanium Dioxide of light liquid oil. Use a mini mixer to get the clumps of color worked out smoothly.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Mix 1 oz. of the Coconut Lemongrass Fragrance Oil and 1 oz. of the Lime Essential Oil. Set aside.

MILK PREP: Mix 1.5 oz. of coconut milk powder into the distilled water. When using this Coconut Milk Powder we found it was a little tricky to mix into water however, heating the water slightly (to about 95°F) made it easy. Once the powder is completely mixed into the water and contains no clumps, pour the milk into ice cube trays and place them into the freezer until completely hard (several hours to overnight).

• Remove the fully frozen milk from the ice cube trays and place into a container that has been placed in an ice bath. Slowly add lye and stir until the lye is fully dissolved and the milk has become liquid. Click here to see this process and more tips on creating a lye and milk mixture. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye milk. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add about 2 tsp. sodium lactate.
• Fully melt and combine the coconut, olive, green tea seed, castor, avocado butter and mango butter. Once the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below, add the lye milk to the oils and stick blend until thin trace.
• Pour off two containers, each measuring 1 cup. The large container should then hold about 4 cups.
• To the large container, add 2 tablespoons of the dispersed Fizzy Lemonade Colorant, and 1 tablespoon of the dispersed Chrome Green Oxide. Use a whisk to fully incorporate.
• To one of the smaller containers, add 2.5 tablespoons of dispersed Fizzy Lemonade Colorant and use a whisk or spoon to fully incorporate. To the other small container, add 2 tablespoons of the dispersed titanium dioxide and use a whisk or spoon to fully incorporate. Add the fragrance oil blend proportionally to each container (it’s okay to eyeball it!) and use a whisk to fully combine.
• Pour the entire container of green soap into the mold, and tap the mold firmly on the counter to help get rid of any air bubbles. Don’t scrape the bowl clean, leave a small amount of green soap in the bowl for the top.
• Pour half of the white soap into the center of the mold. Pour from about 10 inches above the mold; this helps the white soap drop into the green soap, rather than sitting on top and creating layers.
• Pour the yellow soap into the green and white soap. Pour the yellow soap from 8-10 inches above the mold to ensure the yellow soap breaks through into the green soap. Leave a small amount of soap in the container for the top.
• Tap the mold firmly on the counter to help get rid of air bubbles. Stick blend the leftover white soap until you reach a thick trace.
• Use a spoon to gently place the thick white soap on top of the green soap. Gently spread the soap to ensure an even layer.
• Use a spoon to place the leftover yellow soap from the container onto the white.
• Place any leftover green soap onto the yellow, and use a spoon to create peaks and texture with the yellow, white and green soap.
• Place the lime embeds into the side of the soap. Ensure the lime is far enough in the soap that they don’t fall out.
• Spritz the top with 99% isopropyl alcohol to prevent soda ash, and place the soap into the freezer for 24 hours. Doing so prevents the soap from going through gel phase which will scorch the coconut milk. After 24 hours, remove the soap from the freezer and allow to sit in the mold for 3-4 days. Milk soap can be a little softer due to the extra milk fat. Patience is key! Remove from the mold, cut and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks.

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